News
SpaceX to launch AST SpaceMobile’s first space-based cell towers
AST Space Mobile says it has chosen SpaceX to launch its first operational BlueBird satellite after contracting the company to launch BlueWalker 3, its first major prototype.
An SEC filing made around the same time states that AST SpaceMobile will pay SpaceX at least $22.75 million to “adjust” its upcoming BlueWalker 3 launch contract, cover an “initial payment” for the launch of BlueBird 1, and pay the reservation fee for a second launch for BlueBird 2. While only representing three probably ‘launch service agreements,’ the decision sets SpaceX up to be the company’s primary launch provider for a constellation of as many as 243 large communications satellites.
While choosing SpaceX – the most affordable and available launch provider on Earth – is far from unexpected, the satellites SpaceX will be launching for AST are anything but traditional. Driven largely by the technical requirements of AST SpaceMobile’s goal of directly connecting unmodified mobile phones to the internet through satellite in orbit, the company has completely ignored the relatively common satellite design trope of a central ‘bus’ with two solar array ‘wings.’
Instead, AST’s BlueBird satellites will launch with their antennas effectively folded around their ‘bus’ like a giant origami cocoon. Once in orbit, using a fairly elegant extension of normal solar array deployment mechanisms, the satellite’s antenna will slowly unfold and eventually return to its default shape – a giant, flat surface. For a number of reasons, AST SpaceMobile recently decided to halve the total area of its BlueBird satellites, but the new design will still feature an immense antenna with a surface area of about 450 square meters (~4800 square feet). Only the United States’ classified Orion spy satellites likely eclipse the size of the antennas AST wants to deploy in space.
Thanks to those massive antennas, though, AST says its BlueBirds will theoretically be able to “reach over 700 million unconnected people,” though it’s less clear how many users the constellation – or a single satellite – will be able to simultaneously support. Additionally, located in low Earth orbit (LEO), an uninterrupted connection will only be possible once a string of satellites have been launched into roughly the same orbital plane. Until then, the service will be intermittent – a huge boon for emergency communications in remote areas but hard to use for much else in the interim.
BlueWalker 3, a prototype satellite, aims to demonstrate AST SpaceMobile’s relatively exotic satellite design while simultaneously (with any luck) showing that it can connect hundreds or thousands of unmodified phones to the internet as if it were an ordinary cell tower. AST says it has already demonstrated the space-to-ground connection in a clever way by launching what amounts to mobile phone turned into a cubesat and then using that orbital phone to connect to a simulated cell tower satellite back on Earth. Developed for about $70 million, BlueWalker 3 will weigh about 1.5 tons (~3300 lb) and attempt to deploy a smaller but still representative 65-square-meter (~693 sq ft) origami-like antenna.
AST SpaceMobile hasn’t confirmed a launch date and is still working on the satellite prototype but its latest “summer 2022” target suggests it will launch on SpaceX’s Transporter-5 rideshare mission as early as June 2022.
News
Tesla Cybertruck owner credits FSD for saving life after freeway medical emergency
The incident was shared by the Tesla owner on social media platform X, where it caught the attention of numerous users, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
A Tesla Cybertruck owner has credited Full Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised for saving his life after he experienced a medical emergency on the freeway.
The incident was shared by the Tesla owner on social media platform X, where it caught the attention of numerous users, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
In a post on X, Cybertruck owner Rishi Vohra wrote that he had unintentionally fasted for 17 hours, taken medication, and experienced what he described as a severe allergic reaction while driving.
“What started as a normal drive turned terrifying fast. My body shut down. I passed out while driving on the freeway, mid-conversation with my wife on the phone,” he wrote.
Vohra stated that his Tesla was operating with FSD Supervised engaged at the time. According to his account, the Cybertruck detected that he had lost consciousness using its driver monitoring system, slowed down, activated hazard lights, and safely pulled over to the shoulder.
“Thank God my Tesla had Full Self-Driving engaged. It detected I lost consciousness (thanks to the driver monitoring system), immediately slowed, activated hazards, and safely pulled over to the shoulder. No crash. No danger to anyone else on the road,” Vohra wrote.
The Cybertruck owner added that his wife used Life360 to alert emergency services after hearing him go silent during their call. He said responders located him within five minutes. After being attended to, Vohra stated that the vehicle then drove him to the emergency room after he refused to leave his truck on the freeway.
“So the Tesla autonomously drove me the rest of the way to the ER. I walked in, got admitted, and they stabilized me overnight,” he wrote.
He later posted that he was being discharged and thanked Tesla and Elon Musk. Musk replied to the post, writing, “Glad you’re ok!” The official Tesla X account also reposted Vohra’s story with a heart emoji.Â
Tesla recently published updated safety data of vehicles operating with FSD (Supervised) engaged. As per Tesla’s latest North America figures, vehicles operating with FSD (Supervised) engaged recorded one major collision every 5,300,676 miles. The U.S. average is one major collision every 660,164 miles.Â
Considering the experience of the Cybertruck owner, Tesla’s safety data does seem to hold a lot of water. A vehicle that is manually driven would have likely crashed or caused a pileup if its driver lost consciousness in the middle of the freeway, after all.
News
Tesla Cyberbeast price drops to less than $100k but loses Luxe package with FSD
The change adjusts the truck’s positioning in the high-performance premium EV pickup truck segment, where several rivals now command six-figure price tags.
Tesla has reduced the price of the Cyberbeast to below $99,990, but the update also removes a compelling feature set from the vehicle.
The change adjusts the truck’s positioning in the high-performance premium EV pickup truck segment, where several rivals now command six-figure price tags.
Prior to its price adjustment, the Cyberbeast was listed for $114,990. However, the vehicle’s prior configuration included a Luxe package that bundled features such as Full Self-Driving Supervised and other premium inclusions. That package is no longer listed as part of the Cyberbeast.
For its sub $100,000 price, the Cyberbeast offers 325 miles of estimated range, a 0-60 mph time of 2.6 seconds, a payload capacity of 2,271 lbs with the Cyber Wheel, and Powershare.
Interestingly enough, the Cyberbeast now undercuts some of its most powerful competitors with its updated price. The Rivian R1T Quad, for example, starts at $116,900, though the R1T has more range at 374 miles per charge, and it is also a bit faster with a 0-60 mph time of 2.5 seconds.Â
Other rivals include the GMC Hummer EV 3X Omega Edition Truck, which has a starting MSRP of approximately $148,000 before dealer markups, the Chevy Silverado EV LT Max Range, which starts at over $91,000 before dealer markups, and the GMC Sierra EV Denali Max, which starts at about $101,000.Â
Considering that rivals like the Rivian R1T Quad, Chevy Silverado EV LT Max Range, and GMC Sierra EV Denali Max outgun the Cyberbeast in raw range, the Cyberbeast’s competitiveness will likely rely on its Full Self Driving Supervised system, which allows it to navigate inner city streets and highways.
For $99 per month, the Cyberbeast practically becomes a self-driving vehicle, and that is something that its rivals cannot match, at least for now.
Cybertruck
Tesla launches new Cybertruck trim with more features than ever for a low price
This is a considerable upgrade to the Cybertruck Rear-Wheel-Drive that Tesla offered last year. It was discontinued after just a few months, but we still have yet to see anyone share pictures of it online.
Tesla has officially launched a new trim of its all-electric Cybertruck, which has more features than previous offerings at this price point, which is an incredibly good value.
Tesla is now offering the Cybertruck All-Wheel-Drive, and starting at $59,990, it appears to be a lot of truck for the money.
Along with the sub-$60,000 starting price, Tesla gives the Cybertruck AWD a 325-mile range rating, a powered tonneau cover that houses three bed outlets. It also has Powershare capability, coil springs with adaptive damping for a refined suspension feel, Steer-by-wire and four-wheel-steering, a 6′ x 4′ composite bed, a towing capacity of 7,500 pounds, and a powered frunk.
This is a considerable upgrade to the Cybertruck Rear-Wheel-Drive that Tesla offered last year. It was discontinued after just a few months, but we still have yet to see anyone share pictures of it online.
Tesla has launched a new Cybertruck trim: the Cybertruck AWD
– Starts at $59,990
– Dual Motor AWD w/ est. 325 mi of range
– Powered tonneau cover
– Bed outlets (2x 120V + 1x 240V) & Powershare capability
– Coil springs w/ adaptive damping
– Heated first-row seats w/ textile… pic.twitter.com/erZBtlq3Bs— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) February 20, 2026
That truck did not have a power tonneau, did not have adaptive suspension, leather seats, or nearly any of the premium features in the upper-level trims. It was not a great deal, either. It was only a $10,000 discount from the next Cybertruck trim, which meant losing a motor and a lot of premium features for not that much of a savings.
This is a much better offering from Tesla and could help the company see a bit of a resurgence from a sales perspective. Although the Cybertruck is a popular vehicle from a fan perspective, it is not a great seller, and Tesla knows it.
Tesla Cybertruck undergoes interior mod that many owners wanted
Despite it being a crowd favorite, it was simply priced out of people’s budgets, so this All-Wheel-Drive configuration should be easier to handle financially for many of those who wanted the Cybertruck but not the price tag that came with it.
It is not a far cry from what Tesla priced back in 2019, as it unveiled three trim levels back in November, nearly seven years ago: a Single Motor for $39,990, a Dual Motor for $49,990, and a Tri-Motor for $69,990.
This new AWD trim is just $10,000 off from that price tag, and accounting for inflation, Tesla is pretty close.
Deliveries are expected to begin in June 2026.
Tesla Cybertruck owner credits FSD for saving life after freeway medical emergency
Tesla Cyberbeast price drops to less than $100k but loses Luxe package with FSD
